'Please lah, don't mix business with politics'

INTERVIEW | Active politicians should not get involved in business activities to avoid conflicts of interest, says Ameer Ali Mydin, the managing director of hypermarket chain Mydin.

"I think we need to be clear. The moment you become a politician, you cannot get involved in business. (If not) there will be a conflict of interest.

"You can be a businessperson, but please surrender it to someone else when you get into politics. How can one become a politician and hope to do business at the same time?" he asked in an interview with Malaysiakini recently.

Ameer was responding to a question on the state of the nation under Pakatan Harapan rule.

He pointed out that there are politicians – including elected representatives – who run their own businesses or through their relatives or friends.

Since taking over Putrajaya on May 9, Harapan has pledged to review the positions of political appointees GLCs and GLICs to prevent possible interference in their affairs.

Never the twain shall meet

According to Ameer, a politician is expected to sacrifice his time and energy for the country, and thus, should not allow the two worlds of business and politics to collide.

"If one has a business like me, how to get involved in politics?

“But if one already has (entered politics), the business should be given to someone else, or given to a trust fund, like how it's done in the United States," he said.

Ameer also supported the move by several politicians to declare their assets, either to the MACC or the prime minister, as it would increase the people’s confidence and trust in their elected representatives.

The move, he added, would also ensure that the people know the money their elected representatives earn is from legitimate sources.

Ameer also noted that politicians are not supposed to be as rich as businesspersons, adding that those with questionable wealth should be investigated.

"If you have two bungalows (before becoming a politician), and after five years, you still have the two houses, but maybe just a bigger car, I think that's okay, we can accept that.

"There are politicians who were not rich before – it is not a sin to be rich, but in your job (as a politician), you are not supposed to be very rich," he said.

"Businesspersons can be rich, but if someone is, for instance, a professor – a noble profession – they shouldn't have five bungalows worth RM5 million each.

"For that reason, please lah, don't mix business with politics." -Mkini